Mat for separating stacked rolls



Aug. 14, 1962 w. H. NELSON MAT FOR SEPARATING STACKED ROLLS Filed May 18, 1960 FIG.

FIG. 2.

[iii

INVENT OR Whi fman H. Nelson United States 3,049,245 MAT FOR SEPARATING STACKED ROLLS Whitman H. Nelson, 712 th Ave. SE., Decatur, Ala. Filed May 18, 1960, Ser. No. 29,838 1 Claim. (Cl. 21410.5)

The present invention relates to a mat for separating and supporting stacked rolls of newsprint paper.

In the newsprint industry, the rolls of newsprint are preferably stored on end and in stacks of two or more high. The rolls are handled by a fork-lift truck of conventional design. Customarily it has been the practice to place a roll on several pieces of wood arranged more or less parallel to each other and spaced apart so that the fork of the truck may be inserted between the wood pieces to engage the bottom end of the upended roll. Frequently, damage to the roll end results when the fork is inserted, and often the workmen handling the wood pieces have suffered injuries while trying to insert the pieces below a roll.

An object of the present invention is to provide -a mat for supporting and separating stacked rolls of newsprint or other heavy cylindrical objects.

Another object is to provide a mat which is sturdy in construction and economical to manufacture.

A further object is to provide a mat for use in storage and handling of paper rolls which is adaptable for rolls of varying sizes, and one which is collapsible to a compact size for storage when not in use.

These objects and advantages of the invention will be fully understood from the following description when considered with the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of two rolls of paper, stored in superimposed relation and using mats constructed according to the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the mat of the present invention,

FIGURE 3 is a view taken on line 33 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 4 is a view on an enlarged scale taken on line 44 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawing, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the reference numeral designates the mat of the present invention, generally. The mat 10 comprises a pair of horizontally disposed channel members 12 and 14, each having a web 5 and opposed flanges, arranged with the flanges projecting above the webs and so that the members are longitudinal of each other, with the member 12 within and telescopingly disposed with respect to the member 14.

: Transversely arranged and fixedly secured to one end of the member 14 is an L-shaped support element 16. Another L-shaped support element 18 is disposed transversely of and is fixedly secured to one end of the member 12. The elements 16 and 18 are arranged so that their long legs, 20 and 22 respectively, are horizontal and their short legs, 24 and 26 respectively, are vertical and abut the aforesaid ends of the members 12 and 14,

iatented Aug. 14, 1962 The long legs of the elements 18 and 20 project outwardly and are coplanar with respect to the webs of the respective members 12 and 14.

Each element 18 and 20 supports on its long leg a wood piece 28 having one straight side edge and a curved side edge merging at its ends with the straight side edge.

Another wood piece 30 is disposed transversely of the members 12 and 14 intermediate their ends and is provided on its underface with slots, as at 32 in FIGURE 4, receiving the flanges 34 and 36 of the members 12 and 14.

The length of the short leg of each support element 16 and 18 is less than the thickness of the pieces 28 and 30 so that a slot, as at 38 in FIGURE 1, is formed between the members 12 and 14 and the bottom end of a roll of paper, designated generally by the numeral 40 in FIG- URE 1.

The webs '42, 44 of the members 12 and 14 are provided with slots 46, 48, having closed ends and in registry with each other. The shank of a bolt extends through the slots 46 and 48 and through a hole in the Wood piece 30.

A wing nut 52 is threadably engaged on the bolt 50 for securing the webs 42, 44 together in any position of adjusted movement relative to each other.

In use, the Wing nut 52 is loosened and the wood pieces 28 are pulled out from each other or pushed toward each other so that they approximate the diameter of a roll of paper to be supported. The wing nut 52 is then tightened and the assembled mat 10 is handled as a unit to be placed on the floor or on the upper end of a roll of paper, for support of a roll deposited on the mat 10 by the fork lift of a truck, the forks slipping freely into the space above the members 12 and 14 on each side of the wood piece 30, and engaging the bottom of the roll of paper.

While only a single embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the annexed claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A support mat for an upended roll of paper comprising at least three horizontally disposed wood pieces arranged in lateral spaced relation, a pair of channel members arranged in longitudinal, nested, telescopic relation and positioned below said pieces, means embodying a transversely arranged angle iron on one end of each of said members securing said member to the adjacent one of the outer two of said pieces, and means embodying a bolt and a wing nut on said bolt extending through the middle one of said pieces and said members releasably securing said members to said middle piece, the spaces above said channel members on each side of the middle piece forming a slot for a lift fork.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

